Trailer hitch guide

ABSTRACT

A guide for a trailer hitch to guide the female part of the hitch to position over the male ball so that the female part of the hitch will fall into place on the ball. The guide is made up of a base plate suitable to rest on the standard hitch ball. The base plate has a vertical stand welded to it and A U-shaped guide member fixed to the stand at a level near the top of the hitch ball. The base is adjustable, forwardly and rearwardly, to bring it to a position where the female hitch will engage the U-shaped guide part when it is directly over the hitch so that the female part of the hitch is guided directly down on the ball.

United States Patent Eichels et al. Nov. 20, 1973 [54] TRAILER HITCHGUIDE 3,682,360 8/1972 Fletcher et al 280/511 X [76] Inventors: Harry A.Eichels, 112 Grace Dr.; l

Emil A. Grandbouche, 1918 Dewey Primary Examiner-Leo Fflaglla Rd" both fAshtabula Ohio Att0rneyCharles L. Lovercheck [22] Filed: Feb. 22, 197257 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. N0.: 228,063

A guide for a trailer hitch to guide the female part of the hitch toposition over the male ball so that the fe- [52] US. Cl. 280/477 malepart of the hitch will fall into place on the ban [Sl] lit. Cl 1/06guide is made p of a base plate Suitable to rest [58] Fleid of Search280/477, 501, 508, on the Standard hitch ball- The base plate has averti 280/478 cal stand welded to it and A U-shaped guide member fixedto the stand at a level near the top of the hitch [56] References C'tedball. The base is adjustable, forwardly and rearwardly,

NI STATES PATENTS to bring it to a position where the female hitch willen- 1,626,993 5/1927 Williams 280/477 gage the U-shaped guide part whenit is directly over 2,l5l,920 3/1939 .landus et al. 280/501 the hitch sothat the female part of the hitch is guided 2,409,399 10/1946 Solon280/477 directly down on the ball, 3,420,549 1/1969 Robinson 280/4773,675,947 7/l972 Blagg 280/477 X 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures l I I I I lI 5 4 I 6 llllliis; 'lllll l v I I l v v I l I I \l f l l l I I v m- |llllliJ l'lllillh 4 28 Z 0 I l Him 1] 1| ,0

v l i H Ill-- l u s lllh. 'll] 11 ll \30 PATENIEDnuvzo ma 3.773.356

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I I I 1 Him. I mmiiin. l I 19 l 18 h F'G'l I TRAILER HITCH cums OBJECTSOF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a safetydevice for a, trailer hitch.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guide member for guidingthe female part of the trailer hitch to a position directly over thehitch ball.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved trailer hitchguide for assisting in connecting a trailer to a towing vehicle.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsof the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes maybe made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details ofconstruction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view of thetrailer hitch guide according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the hitch guide according to the invention.v

FIG. 3 is a top view of the trailer guide according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Now with more particular referenceto the drawings, the trailer hitch guide is made up principally of abase plate 27, a vertical stand 14, and a U-shaped guide member 15. Thebase member 27 is supported on the standard trailer hitch bar 10. Thebase plate 27 has a slot 29 in it which receives the threaded part 30attached to the hitch ball. The threaded part 30 of the hitch ballextends through the hole 26 in the hitch bar and the nut 13 isthreadably received on the threaded part 30 andclamps the'base plate 27to the hitch bar between the enlarged neck part 25 attached to the hitchball 11. v I

The vertical stand 14 is welded to the base plate 27 at 31 and itextends upwardly therefrom. The vertical stand member 14is in the formofa plate and it termiplate which is bent into the form of a U, having thediverging legs 18 and 19 connected together. by an'inermediate part 20.Gusset plates 16 and 17 are welded along the outer edge of the legs 18and 19 at 23 and 24 and the ends of the gusset plates 16 and 17 arewelded to the vertical stand 14 at 21 and 22. The opening 29 isapproximately the same width as the outer diameter of the hole 26 sothat the lower end of the neck 25 overlies the base plate 27 and clampsthe plate 27 in position. By loosening the nut 13, the base plate 27 canhe slid forward or rearward to adjust the surface of the intermediatepart 20 to the correct position relative to the ball so that when thefemale member of the trailer engages the intermediate part 20, it willbe directly over the ball 11 and can be dropped directly downwardthereonto.

Y nates at the upper edge of the U-shaped guide member I I 15. TheU-shaped guide member 15 is in the form of a It will be noted that thelower edge 28 of the guide member 15 is located approximately at thecenter diameter portion of the ball 11.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferredpractical forms but the structure shown is capable of modificationwithin a range of equivalents without departing from the invention whichis to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with theappended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A guide member for a trailer hitch having a ball and a hitch memberfor connecting said trailer to a vehicle comprising a U-shaped guidemember,

a vertical stand supporting said U-shaped guide member forward of saidball with the lower edge of said U-shaped member disposed approximatelyat the level of the center of said hitch ball,

said U-shaped guide member having two diverging legs connected togetherby an intermediate part,

said intermediate part being supported just forward of said ball at adistance from said ball such that said hitch will engage said ball whendirectly over said ball thereby guiding said hitch directly down ontosaid ball and said legs being adapted to deflect said hitch to aposition over said ball.

2. The hitch recited in claim 1 wherein means is provided for adjustingsaid guide member forwardly and rearwardly whereby the opposite couplingpart or socket is positioned directly over said ball when it engagessaid intermediate part.

a 3. The hitch guide recited in claim 1 wherein said U- shaped guidemember is made of a platelike member formed into U-shape. v

4. The hitch guide recited in claim 3 wherein said vertical standsupporting said U-shaped member comprises a vertically disposed stand inthe form of a platelike member welded to said intermediate part of saidU-shaped member.

5. The hitch guide recited in claim 4 wherein said means supporting saidU-shaped member on said hitch further comprises a platelike base memberadapted to rest on said hitch,

said vertically disposed stand member is fixed to said base member andextends upwardly therefrom.

6. The hitch guide recited in claim 5 wherein said base plate has a slottherein,

said slot being adapted to receive a threaded male part fixed to saidhitch ball,

and a neck of said hitch ball being adapted to rest on said base platewhereby said hitch guide is clamped to said hitch.

7. The hitch guide recited in claim 1 wherein the lower part of saidU-shaped member is disposed at a level approximately equal to the level,of the center of said hitch ball.

8. The hitch guide recited in claim 4 wherein a gusset plate is fixed toeach side of said U-shaped member,

and said gusset plate is fixed to said vertical stand. l II I l l

1. A guide member for a trailer hitch having a ball and a hitch memberfor connecting said trailer to a vehicle comprising a U-shaped guidemember, a vertical stand supporting said U-shaped guide member forwardof said ball with the lower edge of said U-shaped member disposedapproximately at the level of the center of said hitch ball, saidU-shaped guide member having two diverging legs connected together by anintermediate part, said intermediate part being supported just forwardof said ball at a distance from said ball such that said hitch willengage said ball when directly over said ball thereby guiding said hitchdirectly down onto said ball and said legs being adapted to deflect saidhitch to a position over said ball.
 2. The hitch recited in claim 1wherein means is provided for adjusting said guide member forwardly andrearwardly whereby the opposite coupling part or socket is positioneddirectly over said ball when it engages said intermediate part.
 3. Thehitch guide recited in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped guide member ismade of a platelike member formed into U-shape.
 4. The hitch guiderecited in claim 3 wherein said vertical stand supporting said U-shapedmember comprises a vertically disposed stand in the form of a platelikemember welded to said intermediate part of said U-shaped member.
 5. Thehitch guide recited in claim 4 wherein said means supporting saidU-shaped member on said hitch further comprises a platelike base memberadapted to rest on said hitch, said vertically disposed stand member isfixed to said base member and extends upwardly therefrom.
 6. The hitchguide recited in claim 5 wherein said base plate has a slot therein,said slot being adapted to receive a threaded male part fixed to saidhitch ball, and a neck of said hitch ball being adapted to rest on saidbase plate whereby said hitch guide is clamped to said hitch.
 7. Thehitch guide recited in claim 1 wherein the lower part of said U-shapedmember is disposed at a level approximately equal to the level of thecenter of said hitch ball.
 8. The hitch guide recited in claim 4 whereina gusset plate is fixed to each side of said U-shaped member, and saidgusset plate is fixed to said vertical stand.